Design & Development

Minute Maid Park revamp plans approved

Directors of Harris County Houston Sports Authority have approved a $25m ($20.6m/€22.2m) revamp of Minute Maid Park, the home of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros.

The franchise, which leases the ballpark from the sports authority, will fund the redevelopment work.

Plans include a new club for season ticket-holders on the stadium’s suite level as well as alterations to the right-field corner, including an additional open-access staircase to ease the flow of fans between tiers and new food and bar service areas.

The renovations will take place alongside previously announced plans to revamp the suite level, which is due to have its first major facelift since the ballpark opened nearly 20 years ago.

The franchise has insisted that although the work will reduce the number of seats, more standing space will be created, ensuring the stadium’s total capacity will remain unaffected.

“We’re excited that we got approval to move forward with the new additions, and we will have detailed plans for the public before the end of the season,” Reid Ryan, the team’s president for business operations, told the Houston Chronicle.

The sports authority’s chairman, Kenny Friedman, added: “We at the sports authority are happy that they [the Astros] are such great stewards of our stadium. They have done an outstanding job of maintaining and keeping it state of the art. We’re proud of the stadium and proud of our tenants.”

Image: Brian Reading